Nicholas Surprised Celtic Are In For Martinez

Ex-Scotland striker Charlie Nicholas says he is surprised that Celtic is interested in appointing Roberto Martinez as their new manager.

Nicholas, a regular pundit on Sky Sports, spent 8 years at Celtic Park in 2 spells, during his first he scored 48 goals in just 74 appearances.

He struggled to continue that goalscoring form when he joined Arsenal in 1983 for a £800,000 fee, and he returned to Scotland to join Aberdeen. He then returned to Celtic and spent a further 5 years there before ending his career with Clyde. He also won 20 caps for Scotland, scoring 5 goals.

Nicholas believes Celtic need a bigger name as their new boss, but he complimented the 35 year-old:

'I would be surprised if Celtic fans would be captivated by the news that Celtic are interested by Martinez,'

'I have to say I'm quite surprised about it. Celtic is a club that is obviously close to my heart, but they are a club who seem to be going from manager to manager in terms of budget management.

'And unfortunately I think whoever the manager is, he is going to be controlled and asked and asked to be a glove puppet and financial monitor rather than anything else.'

Celtic have been rejected permission to talk to Martinez until chairman Huw Jenkins has had talks with the Spaniard on where he thinks his future lies.

Nicholas also told BBC Sport that he'd prefer the appointment of David Moyes who has ruled out any interest, and Roy Keane who has recently joined Ipswich:

'Martinez, I have to say, is very, very interesting... with the success he has had at Swansea. Martinez has got a lovely footballing philosophy,'

'I like it. I like the style of the whole thing. He plays a lovely passing, European style and Celtic fans would like that.

'But as a personal individual, as a personality, I don't think the Celtic fans will be enamoured by it to be honest with you.

'I said as soon as Strachan left that if Celtic wanted to get serious they had two people to go for to prove they are a big football club again.

'That was David Moyes, they couldn't afford and probably he wouldn't be interested in going, but you have to make that approach to find out, and then the other one would be Roy Keane. I know he has just signed a year contract for Ipswich.

'Those were the two big names who would bring an authority and a statement of intent.

'No disrespect to Martinez, but Celtic fans are looking for a big name to bring big name players and the first reaction, in my mind, would be the Celtic fans saying he would be just controlled by the financial guys.'